


The Trade: Prologue

by Trix



Series: The Trade [1]
Category: CSI:NY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-29
Updated: 2010-09-29
Packaged: 2017-10-12 07:21:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/122340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trix/pseuds/Trix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How did the world get so screwed up?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Trade: Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Prologue for The Trade, written to explain things. In respons to feedback about being confused about WHY things were the way they were, if you're still fuzzy on something drop me a line. :)

Title: The Trade Prologue

Author: Trix

Beta: Antoinette

Rating: FRT

Warnings: Disturbing?

Disclaimer: I made this up all by myself. Yes I'm weird. What's your point?

Summary: How did the world get so screwed up?

 

When mankind started to colonize space it soon became apparent that it would be far easier to alter the human race than it would be to terraform the planets. At first the rules and laws regulating genetic experiments interfered with any form of effective actions in the area. So all extra terrestrial experiments were declared exempt from the laws. This was of course greeted with great joy by most scientists although some warned that completely without regulations the science of genetic engineering was headed for a catastrophe. The experiments started off innocently enough, changing the metabolism and aerobic oxidation, to make it possible to live on planets that had just that little bit of difference in the atmosphere, that made it difficult to live there. After some years of studious and careful manipulations the genetic scientists were revered almost to the point of worship, and it was now that one of them decided to do a little experimenting to test out his own thesis. After successfully creating people with green skin the scientist realized he could get away with anything, the people living on the planet worshipped him, he was loved and adored and it never occurred to them that he'd ever not act in their best interests. Soon most of the scientists were indulging in their own special fields of genetic engineering. Some wanted to see if they could produce angels. Some were intrigued by enhancing senses, and still others wanted to increase strength and intelligence. Then there were those who wanted simply to create interesting physical traits, like green skin or blue hair. For a while no one did anything to curb this, after all the scientists were performing a vital service for humankind, and as none of their subjects appeared to be suffering, the decision was made to let it slide. Eventually though it became apparent that the majority of the experiments no longer served a purpose, other than to amuse the scientists, and the various governments began trying to enforce restrictions.

 

~*~

 

Within a few centuries of colonizing space, the governments lost all control over their colonies, and once they were independent, they once again removed the restrictions on genetic engineering, and the genetic experiments returned to the open. It wasn't long before all semblance of control dissipated, and the scientists simply made the genetic changes to order, with varying skill and results. The most popular changes was with spacers (who later became known as shippers) who wanted their bones to remain strong while they were in space, without having to spend precious energy on upholding a full G gravity, and also to enhance the olfactory senses to keep track of the airsupply. Soon it became apparent that the genes used to enhance the olfactory sense also made good marker genes and they began being used as such resulting in a major evolutionary leap, wherein mankind suddenly got an olfactory sense comparable to that of a canine. The genetic experiments also changed the psychological makeup of humanity, although the consequences of this took much much longer to understand.

 

~*~

 

As time went on it became apparent that any and all attempts to uphold something resembling law and order on such a major scale was a doomed project, and society began to fall apart. It became a world where the strongest ruled and the weaker had better find someone strong enough and willing to protect them. There were isolated pockets of civilization, but they were few and far between, and usually they only lasted as long as the strong leader who founded them. The shippers became a society to themselves, more or less completely separate from the planetary societies, known by the shippers as terrans, though they had little to do with Earth.

 

~*~

 

Time passed until the world of the shippers solidified into a place where the common good became the basis for loose informal social rules that functioned almost as laws. The Captains of spaceships ruled their ships as they saw fit, and interacted with the terrans only when they were doing business. The terrans for their part made sure to take every advantage they could of the shippers. By this point the genetic tampering had more or less ended, but the marker genes that had been introduced to almost everyone had spread so that most people relied mostly on smell to identify which ship, planet, family or clan a person belonged to.

 

~*~

 

The mother planet, Earth, no longer wanted anything to do with it's colonies, apart from certain minerals that Earth herself didn't produce, and the changes in both physics and mental processes were so significant that the Earth humans no longer acknowledged the humanity of the shippers and terrans. They were for all intents and purposes different races. As piracy and murder ran rampant through the galaxy, the need for someone to uphold the law or at least weed out the most violent of the criminals became acute. Bounty hunters appeared to keep the very worst from hurting more people, most of them did it exclusively for the money though some had other reasons.

 

~*~

 

In the shipper society the Captain of the ship has power over everything, he decides who eats, he decides who gets water, he decides who breathes. The Captain of a shipper ship decides who lives and dies onboard his ship. The only one who can argue with a Captain is another Captain and that doesn't usually happen.

 

~*~

 

After the intense genetic engineering there are very few people remaining with any form of disability at all and those who are tend to be killed or worshipped most often immediately after birth, or when the imperfection is discovered simply mistreated to death. Mental disabilities are ignored, frequently leading to the death of those with mental retardation. Severe mental illnesses like psychopathy are not considered a flaw.

 

~*~

 

The changes in mentality were mostly that the flockmentality became more pronounced, the group follows a strong leader who is rarely if ever questioned, the pack is everything, and pack members will automatically side with each other. New members have to work long and hard to win a place in a pack, the easiest way of gaining acceptance from the rest of the pack is by forming a sexual alliance with an established member of the pack.


End file.
